Archive for December, 2015

A part of our district’s “world-class goals” is to teach our students to embrace and practice “grit.” Among others, we point to a special group that practices what we preach. Each November, we honor our community’s veterans for their grit, their courage, and their sacrifice.

My own dad was a World War II Marine private who fought and was wounded in Okinawa. He died 5 years ago in his sleep, surrounded by his family, and underneath his favorite bright red Marine Corps blanket. At the funeral thereafter, a young soldier handed my mom the American flag and expressed “the thanks of a grateful nation.” (See video below.)

Thankfully, there is now a new birth of appreciation for our military, overcoming the ingratitude of the 1960s/1970s hippies. While overdue, it is most welcome.

Each of our 23 schools finds its own way to recognize and honor these men and women on or about November 11. There are special breakfasts and lunches. There are nighttime presentations and videos. There are concerts and assemblies. Hundreds of our veterans are invited, and many come.

Now let me get out of the way and let a veteran speak. This Vietnam vet attended the event at Rustic Oak Elementary and wrote to the principal thereafter:

Dear Mrs. West:

I want to thank you and all of your staff and teachers that helped to prepare the Veterans Day program at your school. Having all of the adult females in my family teaching in either Pearland or Pasadena ISD, I know what it takes to put on such a production. I applaud you for doing this for the veterans in our community.

As a veteran of the Vietnam War (1968-1969), your program now has a special place in my heart. Hopefully, I can explain this without “tear staining” the paper. I was barely 19 years old when my draft number was called. To avoid the draft, I enlisted so that I could choose my specialty training. Following Combat Medic training, I was shipped to Dau Tieng, RVN, as a Medical Corpsman assigned to Company B, 25th Medical Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. There, I saw many unspeakable things when wounded soldiers and civilians were brought to our field hospital.

Thursday evening as the children sang “American Tears,” I began to have flashbacks of some of the senseless deaths and destruction. One was seeing a fellow medic shot in the head and killed the night before he was scheduled to return home. Another was as our base camp was overrun by NVA during a nine-hour firefight that resulted in 147 NVA and 99 American soldiers killed. It was during these flashbacks and the singing of “American Tears” by the children that I, for the first time, knew why I fought in that senseless war so many years ago. It was so that these children could sing “American Tears” while I silently cried.

That song and my tears made all of the hate, hate speech and throwing of vegetables and eggs at us as I returned from Vietnam in Oakland, CA, worth it. I would do it again without hesitations. Freedom is NOT free, but American men and women in the military will give their life for your right to be FREE!

Sincerely, and with great appreciation for all educators,CLIFF FARLEY – PawPaw to both Madelynn and Morgan

May God bless Cliff Farley and ALL of those who served our great nation!